By Kate RidingÂ
Wine really does deserve some serious attention if you ask me, it’s a lot more than just a drink. It is for this reason that I find it very strange that there is no defined tasting procedure which has a universal acceptance. It is common that the majority of wine tasters follow their own set out plan when tasting and this will vary from person to person. Most of these steps, whilst having their place in the vineyards would be frowned upon at the dining table, they involve a set of steps which to the layperson would appear quite ridiculous. The difference can be akin to that of a persons preference to a particular style or genre of music. The world of critical wine tasting is a comparison between a real standard and the wine in question, drinking wine with a meal is greatly different to this and the wine is undoubtedly intended as an accompaniment to the meal and as a “refreshment”. Although there is no doubting the eccentric activities of a wine taster at a dinner party are perhaps not required it is worth admiring and appreciating the great talent and concentration that goes into the true appreciation of wine. From an outsiders view, these strange and sometimes occult like tastings may seem a little over complicated but with a true desire and ability to focus ones attention it is quickly possible to begin to understand and appreciate wine in a more full sense. For the basics of wine tasting we are undoubtedly in debt to the likes of Clarke and Goulden.Where possible it is advised that you should rinse your mouth clean before tasting a wine, but obviously in a dinner party setting this is not always possible nor desired. I would however, recommend that the beginner use this method, it clears the palette and allows the wine taster to become more familiar with the basic characteristics of the wine being tasted (if in doubt, borrow from the experts!). A more experienced taster will more quickly be able to get the basic qualities of a wine and will often omit this step. Many consider that rinsing with water in this way detracts from the wine and affects palette because the water alters the sensitivity of the tongue and therefore adds a further complication in the whole process. During a long session of tasting it is quite possible that the mouth can become fatigued and therefore this instance lends itself to a revitalization with water.
Wines are best tasted in tulip shaped glasses, with the exception being sparkling wines which require a fluted glass (the elongated type you often see unused in display cabinets!). These style of glasses enhance the sparkling wines natural effervescence. If you don’t have the correct glasses (or enough if you’re having friends round) you can always loan them from a friend. It is important when comparing wines that each glass is filled to the same level (about a third full is the normal) this allows the taster to hold the glass at a steep angle to allow for a nice observation of the colour and clarity but also allows for a nice vigorous swirl of the wine which in turn releases the aromatics in the wine. At dinner party’s it’s also a useful tool when showing off, but beware there is always someone at the party who knows more about wine than you, so credit your fellow guests with some intelligence!
About the Author
Kate writes for UK Loan magazine but simply loves wine!
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 2:23 PM CDT
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By Lee DennisÂ
Portuguese wine is part of the country’s ancient tradition introduced to the region by ancient civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. These wines are known worldwide for their high quality and in last few years has been considered by specialists among the best in the world, as is reflected in its success in international competitions.Portuguese wine is famous for its taste and quality world wide and Portugal boasts of some of the best vineyards accumulating wine and is one of the most prominent, and underrated wine producers of the world.Â
By some it’s considered Portugal’s best-kept secret. The most famous Portuguese wine is surely Porto, yet there are a lot of other wine-producing regions in Portugal. Although Portuguese wine is as old as any other European region’s, it is just recently rising to new heights in quality and more contemporary style.
As Portuguese cuisine has re-established itself in restaurants so has it’s Wines.
Wine is named according to the names of the regions they are produced in Portugal. Wines from villages of Durnstein and Loiben are superb, and Spitz and Joching are very good but tend to be more delicate due to the cooler nights of the region. The of Vinho Verde region, in the Northwest produces some of the world’s finest, unique and highest value-added wines.
Portugal has about 500 native breeds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality. The country is considered a traditional wine grower with 8% of its continental land dedicated to vineyards and is home to one of the greatest international wine success stories of modern times. In the late 1980s, Mateus accounted for over 40% of the country’s total table wine exports and was especially popular in Europe. The quality and great variety of wines in Portugal are due to noble castas, microclimates, soils and proper technology. The most popular variety in Portugal and abroad are the white wines, but there are also red and more rarely rosé wines.
It’s believed that wine exports started during the Roman Empire.
With the quality and uniqueness of its wines, the country is a sizable and growing player in wine production, being in the top 10, with 4% of the world market. During the Roman rule over Portugal, the vineyard culture greatly developed, as the region supplied Rome with its wines.
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 2:48 PM CST
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If you’re planning to travel to the south of France in the near future, think about including a trip to one of the vineyards of the 60 winegrowers in the “Côtes de Provence” region. A small, yet beautiful area, it takes in the departments of the Var and part of the Bouches-du-Rhône.
An indigo sky, azure sea and miles of white, sandy beaches welcome you to an area where limestone cliffs and medieval villages give way to miles of sharply-scented pine forests that provide shelter to tranquil lakes and lazy rivers.
Whether you stay in a bustling, crowded metropolis with all the modern conveniences, or a turn-of-the-century country guest house filled with 17th and 18th century antiques, in Provence your days will be filled with sunshine and warmth, and lush nights, scented with jasmine, lavender and wild thyme.
Perhaps because of the breathtaking beauty of the Mediterranean Sea and the abundance of tourist attractions found in Nice, Cannes and elsewhere along the French Riviera, Provence is often overlooked by companies that offer traditional wine tasting tours, in spite of the excellence of its wines.
2600 years ago, the Phoenicians settled in what is now France and created the first vineyards to honor Bacchus (the God of wine). They left behind a legacy of full-bodied wines that have a sparkle and fullness that is as rich as the area they are grown in.
In Provence, as everywhere in the Mediterranean, you’ll find the people full of warmth, spontaneity and a “joie de vivreâ€. As you will soon discover, any of these master oenologists (winemakers) will be delighted to introduce you to the wines they have become famous for; and share a little of the region’s history with you.
If you’re very lucky, and your host is in the right mood, he might even share some closely guarded secrets of how to blend the right food with exactly the right wine, something that most French winegrowers are passionate about!
As it is throughout all of France, winemaking in Provence is a serious business. Many of the winegrowers here have won the rights to include the prestigious “AOC†designation (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) on their bottles of wines. This label assures the buyer of a guaranteed vintage from the designated region. In order to win the right to become designated as an appellation wine, winegrowers much pass rigorous tests and inspections.
This is a truly prestigious and coveted award, as only the Ministry of Agriculture in Paris can bestow the title of an AOC on a wine.
As you will discover from the first delicious sip, the Côtes de Provence winegrowers are experts in utilizing traditional methods when harvesting and bottling their wines. Their deep respect for the soil, the climate and the different varieties of grapes they use comes through in the quality and taste of each bottle.
Located in the heart of Provence’s winemaking region, the “Maison des Côtes de Provence†boasts an outstanding selection of appellation wines.
If you’re not worried about the thickness of your waist (or your wallet), a visit to the four-star restaurant the “Bacchus Gourmand†is a must, where you can savor real Provençal cuisine accompanied (of course) by the perfect bottle of a Côtes de Provence wine.
Or try sampling a home-cooked meal at one of the many out of the way cafes you’ll find tucked away on a narrow side street in any village, where your host is also often your chef, and he will be delighted to recommend a wine to you.
During your tour you can arrange to take a wine tasting course at one of the vineyards where you will learn a complete understanding of wine: its robe (color), its bouquet (perfume), its body (strength) and everything you need to know about service, conservation etc.
A visit to Provence and a tour of some of these wonderful vineyards and wineries — and taking home a bottle or two — will be an experience to remember.
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 3:07 PM CST
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This article will teach you some of the basics of wine making.
Wine making is an art that has been practiced for over four thousand years. Essentially wine comes in three basic types: red, white and sparkling.
If a sparkling wine comes from the Champagne region of France it is named after that region. Other French regions that produce good wine are Bordeaux and Burgundy. The best Italian wines come from Tuscany, and the best American wines come from California.
When wine is made the grapes are crushed and the juice extracted. The juice contains sugar and yeast. The yeast ferments the sugar and gradually alcohol is produced. Although the alcohol is always the same, every wine has its own flavor. This depends on the type of grape used and the conditions in which fermentation occurs.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir grapes make full, rich red wines. Merlot grapes produce lighter, softer red wines. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes make white wines.
Good wines usually have their year of production on the bottle. This is called the vintage. Some years produce better wines than others.
Most red wines improve with a little aging, some for as long as ten years. Most red wines are not distributed until about two years after they are put in the bottle. However, most white wines do not benefit from aging, except for champagne and sweet dessert wines.
Wines can be enjoyed like any other drink, but they are often consumed with a meal. For full flavored meats such as beef choose a full red wine, like a Zinfandel, Cabernet or Syrah.
For lighter meat like pork or lamb a medium bodied red like a Merlot or Pinot Noir is usually a good choice.
Chicken and fish are usually accompanied by white wine like a Chardonnay. This wine will also complement a non-meat dish, as would a Zinfandel or Riesling.
Sparkling and white wines are best served chilled. A red wine should be served when it is only slightly below room temperature. Both wines are best left to stand before opening. Some red wines have sediment which should stay at the bottom of the bottle, and an agitated sparkling wine is often much too eager to leave the bottle.
You can serve a white wine immediately after removing the cork, but a red wine benefits from ‘breathing’ for about half an hour after the bottle is opened. For best results gently decant the red wine into another container. This allows a greater surface area of the wine to breathe and leaves the sediment behind in the bottle. If you do not have a decanter, pour half a glass from the bottle and let both stand for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 2:16 PM CDT
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Here are some great ideas about wine cellars. You’ll want to make your own.
The term “wine cellar” often conjures up visions of grandeur and luxury. After all, don’t the finest European villas pride themselves on their extensive wine cellars? Don’t the finest restaurants in the area crow about the elaborate processes for keeping their expensive wines in very ideal conditions?
All of this focus on wine cellars can leave the average person a bit uncertain about what a wine cellar is for, and, more importantly, whether his or her love of wine is sophisticated enough to actually purchase or build a wine cellar at home.
Let’s start by saying that most wine lovers do not need fancy storage systems for their wines. Most wine drinkers will focus on carefully selected bottles, and will drink them in regular, but small quantities. For this kind of consumer, creating an at-home wine cellar may be unnecessary.
For the wine lover who enjoys stocking many different kinds of wines, or enjoys collecting wine, a dedicated wine cellar may be essential. A wine cellar can be placed in any convenient location within your home.
When purchasing a wine cellar, there are certain factors you must consider, among them: size, light, vibration, humidity, and temperature. Size refers to how large the wine cellar will be, and to how many bottles of wine it can hold. This may be related to the amount of space you have available for your wine cellar, as well.
Light, vibration, temperature, and humidity controls are necessary to maintain your wine in its highest quality state. Too much light (especially sunlight or fluorescent light) is thought to damage wines. Your wine cellar should offer a darkened storage space.
Vibration is another enemy of wine: too much vibration will disrupt the sediments in wine, causing it to change color or taste. The more delicate the wine, the more susceptible it will be to vibration and light.
Humidity is a third factor to consider, as too much humidity may cause the wine to mold, and too little humidity may cause the corks to shrink, leading to wine spillage and spoilage. The optimal humidity for wine is about 70%.
Finally, temperature is another important factor, as temperatures that are too high will decrease the flavor of the wine, and temperatures that are too low may cause the wine to freeze.
The easiest way to create a wine cellar in your home is through the purchase of a self-contained wine-cellar unit, which can range in size from 2×3 feet to 10×12 feet, and up. (If you are considering a very, very large wine cellar for your home, it may be less expensive, in some cases, to have it custom built for you.)
Wine cellars range in size (some hold as few as 24 bottles, all the way up to 2500 bottles) and the prices rise to match. Prices for small models may begin at about $500, and rise up to $4000 for the larger ones.
You will also find that wine cellars come in a variety of exteriors, ranging from super sleek stainless steel to rustic oak or pine. Additions such as interior lights, locking doors, glass panels and the like will typically add to the price.
When deciding to purchase a wine cellar, you should first determine a few things.
- How many bottles you’d like to store.
- How much space you have available for your wine cellar.
- How much sensitivity you need in terms of controlling for light, temperature, humidity and vibration. Again, if you are planning to purchase very expensive wines, you will need more sophisticated controls.
- Whether the wine cellar will be tucked away in a room or placed out in the open. If it’s the latter, you may want to invest in a higher end finish so that it matches the rest of your house.
Ultimately, the purchase of the perfect wine cellar comes down to the best balance of features for the price and space. Know your wine drinking habits, and purchase the best wine cellar you can afford which meets your current needs, and gives you a little room to expand.
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 7:51 PM CDT
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Would you like to know more about Napa Valley wineries? Read on.Â
By John SarasÂ
Wine Country California is called a region of Northern California, known by its premium wine-growing region since the year 1838. In Wine Country California there are over 200 wineries The area includes Napa Valley in Napa County, and the Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County
Some of the region’s major communities include Kenwood, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Napa, Calistoga, Geyserville, Bodega Bay, historic Fort Ross, and Ukiah. Wine Country proper is generally regarded as the combined counties of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake, but wine grapes are harvested throughout much of northern California. Napa Valley Wineries
Napa Valley is considered to be one of the most important American viticultural areas in California and the United States. From the beginning of twentieth century there were more that 140 wineries.
Some of the most important Napa Valley wineries that still exists in California state are Charles Krug Winery, Chateau Montelena and Beringer.
Viticulture in Napa suffered especially in the period of alcohol prohibition that started in 1920. Also many vines were destroyed by a root louse called phylloxera. Because of these two events many vineries had to stop doing business. After the Second World War, the wine industry in Napa was on the rise again.
The region reputation was growing especially after the results of the famous Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, where judges considered Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon better than several famous French labels in a blind tasting format.
Today there are more than 200 wineries in the Napa region of California. There are many organized Napa valley wine tours where California tourists can see many famous wineries and taste these world-famous wines. Many different grape varieties are being grown like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and other popular varietals. Each year over 5 million tourists visit Napa Valley each year. It is visited by as many as five million people each year, making it the second most popular tourist destination in the state, second only to Disneyland. .
Napa Valley Wineries
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- Nassaw Winery
- Artesa Winery
- Acacia
- Andretti Winery
- Atlas Peak Vineyards
- Beaulieu Vineyard
- Beringer Blass Wine Estates
- Cakebread Cellars
- Caymus
- Carneros Creek Winery
- Chappellet Winery and Vineyard
- Chateau Montelena
- Chimney Rock Winery
- Clos Du Val Winery
- Conn Creek Winery
- Delectus Winery
- Domaine Carneros
- Domaine Chandon
- Duckhorn Vineyards
- Dutch Henry Winery
- Far Niente Winery
- Folie a Deux
- Frank Family Winery
- Franciscan
- Frazier Winery
- Freemark Abbey Winery
- Frog’s Leap Winery
- Goosecross Cellars
- Grgich Hills Cellar
- Hans Kornell
- Heitz Wine Cellars
- Hess Collection
- Honig Vineyard & Winery
- Howell Mountain Vineyards
- Charles Krug
- Markham Vineyards
- Louis Martini
- Mayacamas Vineyards
- Merryvale Vineyards
- Monticello Vineyards
- Mount Veeder Winery
- Peju Province
- Pepi Winery
- Pride Mountain Vineyards
- Raymond Vineyard & Cellar
- Robert Keenan Winery
- Robert Mondavi
- Robert Pecota Winery
- Robert Sinskey Vineyards
- Rutherford Hill Winery
- Rutherford Ranch Vineyards
- Mumm Napa Valley
- Rubicon Estate Winery
- Opus One
- Plump Jack Winery
- Pope Valley Winery
- Rutherford Hill Winery
- Saintsbury
- Sawkar Family Vineyards
- St. Supery
- Schramsberg
- Seavey Vineyard
- Sequoia Grove Vineyards
- Shafer Vineyards
- Silver Oak Cellars
- Silverado Vineyards
- Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
- Stags’ Leap Winery (Not to be confused with Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.)
- Sterling Vineyards
- Stony Hill Vineyard
- Sutter Home
- Trefethen Vineyards
- Turnbull Wine Cellars
- V. Sattui
- Whitehall Lane Winery
- William Hill Winery
- ZD Wines
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Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 9:15 PM CST
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So you know how people throw a bunch of crap together and try to sell it to you for $47? And most of it is recycled garbage they picked up for $1 at eBay?
Well, I’m as sick of that as you are. Which is why this post is so important.
I just found a guy who is giving away brand new stuff he just put together to help us learn how to market our online business with Web 2.0 resources.
Bob the Teacher is an expert in using free advertising. You may know him from his book, “The Best Advertising Money Can’t Buy.” Anyway, he’s put together a special set of resources to help you learn all about Squidoo.
We’re talking a full audio interview, an eBook, and more. And believe it or not, he’s practically giving it away for about a $1.
Well, at least it was $1. I’m not sure how much it is now, since it goes up everytime someone gets their copy of this package.
This is a speedsale which means that the faster you make a decision the lower the price that you will pay. The price goes up a nickel each time someone purchases the package.
Rush over there now, so you can get started with Web 2.0 right away. –> http://www.squidoosecrets.com/chase.php?vip=leaddog50
p.s. By the way, you’ll get 100% affiliate commissions right away. You may notice when you buy the SquidooSecrets kit, you are actually paying me directly! You could be next in line to get paid the whole price.
p.p.s. Of course, if you want the full deal before SquidooSecrets launches on Friday, grab the Super Kraken membership if you get the chance. You’ll be floored by what Bob’s put together! –> http://www.squidoosecrets.com/chase.php?vip=leaddog50
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 12:11 PM CST
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By George WoodÂ
To prevent wine bottles from being broken and to store wine in a cool, dark place you need wine storage racks. Storage racks allow you to organize your wine collection and keep it safe and sound. Wine racks also make it possible to display a great collection of wine bottles to others.
There are many kinds of wine storage racks available on market. You have to see how many bottles you need to store at a time and then choose a rack accordingly. You can even have a wine rack made especially for you, with your own customizations regarding color, size and dimensions. If you want to build a wine cellar in your house, then you can hire professional people to build custom-made wine racks for the cellar. These kinds of racks usually take up an entire wall and allow a large amount of wine to be stored in them.
Many wine storage racks have enough space to hold cases of wine as well as individual bottles. Some wine racks offer individual shelves and bin shelves designed to hold only one bottle at a time. This way you don’t need to sift through bottle after bottle to look for the one you need.
There are online wine rack stores that allow you to browse through numerous wonderful-looking storage racks and decide for the one that best suits your needs. Most designer racks are made of either metal or wood. While purchasing online you will also come across special discount offers and other bonuses. You will be able to classify wine racks according to their material, height, width and shape. Decide your budget and buy beautiful wine racks for your great wine collection!
Anyone with a true taste for wine would like to add new brands to his or her collection every now and then, and for that matter there should be a wine rack in the house for storing wine. Storing wine in a safe place like a rack also helps to keep it out of the reach of children and the wine bottles are less likely to be mishandled or broken. There are many kinds of wine racks available out there; you just have to select the one that suits your needs.
There are hanging racks, wall racks and floor racks to choose from. Many wine racks will require you to put the different parts together and make it ready to hang. Wine racks are categorized into wooden and metallic racks.
The wooden ones are usually made of maple with the visual appeal and beauty it holds, in addition to the strength it provides. Wooden racks are more likely to withstand the temperature and humidity levels.
Make sure that the rack you have chosen will allow plenty of space between bottles to ensure air circulation. That will also help to protect the corks from drying out. Wine racks will allow you to arrange the bottles in some definite order. That way you will be able to search for some particular bottles whenever you need them.
There are many online stores that offer beautiful and long-lasting wine racks of many types and colors to let you select the one that appeals to you. Many of these websites offer free shipping and handling. You can even have some expert come to your house and build a customized wine rack for you.
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 11:14 PM CST
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By April Rounsville
There are nearly as many types of wine glasses as there are varieties of wines, it seems. Of course many wine glass types were specifically made for particular types of wine, such as the traditional rounder red wine glass style.
I myself particularly enjoy the stemless cabernet / merlot wine glasses set that I found at http://www.wineenthusiast.com . They were very reasonably priced and have certainly made a wonderful addition to my wine bar area.
The cabernet / merlot stemless wine glasses are just perfect. I’d been looking for some stemless wine glasses for some time, but hadn’t found jus the right style that I had in mind. The Wine Enthusiast U Cabernet / Merlot stemlesss wine glass sets are just what I what in mind.
In addition to the stemless wine glasses, I found some very nice decanters and a few other wine accessories. At the same website I found some very beautiful beer glasses that I just had to get to add to my husband’s collection.
Did you know that decanters serve a purpose and are not merely pretty vessels in which to store wine or liquor? Especially when it comes to sediment rich fluids such as red wines, a decanter helps to separate the clear portions of liquid from the dirtied, or sediment rich, portions of the same fluid.
So, when liquid is kept in a decanter, it is the clear portion of a sediment rich liquid that has been poured off the top and put into a smaller container to retain the clarity of this isolation. An advanced decanter will even keep the wine trickling down the sides in order to keep the sediment separated from the clear liquid.
Wine decanters are typically very vertical and tall decanters that are simple or ornately decorated. Even the simplest wine decanters typically will have an elegant shape or extreme curve to draw attention to their styling in some way.
Many wine decanters have a raised segment on the very bottom of the decanter for sediment to settle around and sink to the bottom, while wine that is poured is more likely to be the clear liquid that has been isolated from the rest.
Anyhow, when I was at the Wine Enthusiast website I picked up a very striking wine decanter, called the Riedel Ultra Wine Decanter. It has a nice sweeping neck that flares to a wide and elliptical base. I found the dimensions of this particular decanter to best serve a maximum breathing room for my wine while offering a modern design in pristine lead crystal.
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 9:47 PM CDT
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Have you ever wondered how they make that sweet port wine? Here is a good explanation.Â
By Jennifer JordanÂ
I had a friend in college whose life’s goal was to move to France, don a beret, stomp on grapes, and make wine for a living. Though I tried to tell her that there was more to wine-making than purple feet, and that berets were so “Clinton Administration,” she ignored me and dreamt of grapes anyway. Though I did not share her winemaking aspirations and decided instead to dream of something much more realistic, like a marriage proposal from Brad Pitt, she did get me thinking about the process, and she got me thirsty for knowledge. This eventually led me to discover different types of wine require different recipes, with one of the most complex belonging to Port.
Prior to actually reading about making Port, I was under the impression that all it involved was people stepping on grapes in bare feet. Because of this, I often worried that I would be drinking Tinta Barroca, and find floating in my glass a human toenail or perhaps a foot corn. But, in truth, port-making is a lengthy, complicated process.
Port wine, also known as Vinho do Porto, Porto, or Porto wine, is a fortified wine that comes from the Douro Valley in the northern lands of Portugal. Produced in Portugal since the mid 15th Century, Port gained popularity in England after the Methuen Treaty of 1703. While this treaty did war-related things reserved for history books, in regards to wine it caused England to become an adopted family for Port, with Portugal being the biological parents.
There is no easy way to make Port: no kind comes in a packet with “just add water” instructions. Instead, the process initially involves picking grapes, smashing them, and then placing them in an automated tank where they are further chopped into tiny pieces. After remaining in this tank for nearly twenty-four hours, the grapes begin to ferment and their sugar climbs the food chain, turning into alcohol.
With Port wine, after fermentation begins, timing takes over. Once half of the grape’s sugar has been converted, fermentation must be stopped. In order to do this, the wine is mixed with clear brandy (a strong alcoholic spirit distilled from wine) containing a proof of 150. The alcohol in the brandy kills the yeast in the wine, causing fermentation to cease. The ending result is a sweet wine that is about 20 percent alcohol. It is typically served with desserts, cheese, and, of course, desserts made of cheese.
Though there are many styles of Port - White Port, Ruby Port, Young Tawny Port, Aged Tawny Port, Vintage Character Port, Late Bottled Vintage Port, Traditional Late Bottled Vintage Port, Vintage Port, Single Quinta Vintage Port, Crusted Port, and Garrafeira Port - most styles fall into two broad categories: Bottle aged or Cask aged. Because doing the tiniest thing different will result in a different taste of wine, the two Port processes greatly dictate the flavorful outcome. While Bottle aged Ports generally behave like wine on Botox, keeping their color and their fruitiness well into maturity, Cask aged Ports lose flavor quickly. They are ready to drink right away.
The best Ports to know, the ones to introduce yourself to before sending them down your esophagus, are the Taylor Fladgate Tawny Port, W. & J. Graham’s Tawny Port, Smith Woodhouse Vintage Character Port, Niepoort Vintage Port, Quinta do Infantado Single Quinta Vintage Port, and Adriano Ramos-Pinto Late Bottled Vintage Port.
As demonstrated, the process of making Port is not as simple as one might imagine; it involves a little more than simply visiting a vineyard, and being met with thousands of grapes shouting, “Pick me! Pick me!” And, it involves more than taking off your tennis shoes and having a smashing good time. After a careful, lengthy process, the smashing good time will follow.
Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.Â
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Jordan |
Posted by leaddog50 as Best Wines Advisor at 3:49 PM CDT
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